AROUND 50 members of Bayan Central Visayas and its allied organizations yesterday marched towards Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, where ministers, business leaders and senior officials from APEC economies were gathered for a second round of meetings in Cebu.
The group failed to go near the resort.
A platoon of Crowd Dispersal Management Unit (CDMU) from Lapu-Lapu City Police Office met the group near the Bigfoot Studios in barangay Mactan at about 10 a.m. yesterday.
However, the protesters as well as their placards and streamers were visible to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) delegates passing by the area.
Senior Supt. Armando Radoc, Lapu-Lapu police chief, asked the group to disperse and hold their protest activity in another venue.
The protesters voluntarily dispersed at around 11:30 a.m. and marched back towards barangay Buaya, where they first assembled.
“Had they insisted on moving forward, we would have been forced to disperse them. (It was a) good thing that they also understood us,” said Radoc.
The same group conducted a protest activity against the APEC meetings last month, but were also prevented from approaching Shangri-La.
Among the protesters were members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON) Cebu Chapter led by Greg Perez, Nagkahiusang Kabus sa Lapu-Lapu (NAKALAP) and Bayan Central Visayas led by Jaime Paglinawan.
Paglinawan, speaking through a public address system, alleged that the government has failed to address poverty and unemployment despite the influx of foreign investors in the country.
The group also criticized the planned mass transit system in Metro Cebu and the importation of vehicles and spare parts.